The invention is broadly concerned with disposable fast food containers, and particularly such containers formed from foldable blanks or sheets of shape-sustaining paperboard, thin cardboard, and the like.
The individual containers are normally adapted for particular foodstuffs. For example, a container for hamburgers is conventionally an approximately square upwardly opening tray which, in a "clam shell" version, includes an integrally formed closable lid or cover. The typical french fry container, for french fried potatoes, onion rings, and the like, is vertically elongate tapering from a narrow lower or base end to a wide upwardly directed mouth which facilitates both the introduction of the fries and the individual removal of the fries. Such fry containers are normally incapable of standing upright in a stable manner, and more frequently lie flat on the table or serving tray with the fries spilling therefrom.
One of the most commonly ordered fast food meals is "burger and fries". Such a combination is in fact usually encouraged by the offering of a special price slightly less than that were the items ordered separately. Heretofore, such an order has required the use of two separate containers, respectively specifically formed to accommodate the hamburger and the fries. This is turn requires the separate handling of two containers, both by the server and by the customer. The separate tall tapered fry container also requires special handling to accommodate the tendency of such containers to not stand upright in most circumstances.
The necessary use of two containers also requires that, during manufacture, separate equipment be provided to form the distinctly different containers or cartons from different basic blanks.
Other factors which enter into the consideration of the nature of disposable fast food containers include the amount of materials used and the problems in disposing of the used cartons in an environmentally correct manner. All of these factors must be considered in arriving at both a practical and user friendly carton, in conjunction with a carton which is economically feasible, that is adding minimal costs to the meal contained therein. As will be appreciated, any reduction in the cost of the carton itself can produce substantial savings when considering the thousands of meals served in such cartons at any typical fast food establishment.